Lahore Gymkhana rift deepens as four COM members quit committee convenerships

The internal rift at the Lahore Gymkhana Club has deepened, with four members of the Club’s Committee of Management (COM) resigning from the convenership of various committees, alleging that an “unethical and ungentlemanly” move was made to reverse an earlier agreement on the chairmanship.

In a letter dated August 24, addressed to the Secretary of the Lahore Gymkhana Club, Tasneem Noorgani, Mohammad Zia-ur-Rehman, Kamran Lashari and Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera said they were unable to continue as conveners of various committees in view of what they described as a “sneaky, unethical and ungentlemanly act”.

According to the letter, at the first COM meeting of 2026 held on March 2, it was decided and minuted that nine out of 11 members voted in favour of Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and elected him chairman for a six-month term by majority.

The signatories alleged that despite the decision, another vote was held by the COM on August 19 — a day before the chairmanship was due to change under the agreement — to allow the incumbent chairman, Mr Siddique, to continue for the full year.

They termed the move a departure from an “undisputed agreement” to share the chairmanship between Mr Siddique and Mr Sukhera, warning that reversing the arrangement would set a “dangerous precedent”.

The four members further alleged that the matter was not included in the agenda of the August 19 meeting, despite its significance.
They claimed that the meeting had ostensibly been called to discuss a salary increase for club staff, while a hurried vote on the chairmanship was managed as an “ambush” to catch the other side unprepared.

The members said they would no longer continue as conveners of various committees, but would remain members of the COM to honour the mandate given to them by thousands of club members and represent their interests.

The development is likely to further intensify the already visible divisions within the Lahore Gymkhana’s governing body, where the question of the chairmanship has emerged as a major point of contention.